As a fellow self-employed parent who just navigated this process, I wanted to add one more important detail that might help your planning: the benefit amount calculation uses your husband's "base period" earnings, which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before filing. So if your baby arrives in March 2025 and he files then, they'll likely look at his earnings from Q3 2023 through Q2 2024. This is different from what some people mentioned about "18 months" - it's actually more specific than that. If he had a particularly strong quarter during that timeframe, it could really help his benefit calculation. Also wanted to mention that California recently expanded some protections for people taking family leave. While he can't work during his claimed PFL weeks, there are stronger job protection provisions now that might give him more confidence about taking the time he needs. One practical tip: consider having him batch all his 2024 invoicing and client communications before the baby arrives, so there's a clear "cutoff" point that makes the "no work during PFL" requirement easier to document if EDD ever audits. The process really is manageable once you understand the rules - sounds like you're already way ahead of the game with your planning! Your husband definitely deserves those bonding weeks after contributing to the system for 2 years.

Wow, this thread has been so incredibly helpful! As someone who's also navigating the self-employed parent benefits maze, I wanted to add one more resource that might help. I recently discovered that some local SCORE chapters (the small business mentoring organization) have volunteers who are familiar with CA EDD benefits for self-employed individuals. They offer free consultations and might be able to help your husband organize his documentation or even practice explaining his business structure before he calls EDD. Also, since your husband has been paying into SDI for 2 years, he might want to request a "wage and benefit statement" from EDD before the baby arrives. This will show exactly how much he's contributed and confirm his coverage - it's like a "benefits checkup" that could catch any issues early. One last thought on the intermittent leave approach: consider aligning his PFL weeks with natural breaks in his business cycle if possible. For example, if he typically has slower periods after holidays or during certain seasons, timing some of his leave during those periods could minimize the impact on client relationships. Congratulations again, and it sounds like you're going to be wonderfully prepared for this! Your husband is so lucky to have someone helping him navigate all these details ahead of time.

I work in tech and deal with these kinds of form validation issues all the time. One thing that often helps is making sure your entries match the exact character limits and formatting the system expects. Try entering your license number without any spaces or dashes, and for your name, stick to basic letters only (no accents, apostrophes, etc). Also, some government systems are really old and don't handle copy/paste well - try typing everything manually instead of copying from another document. If you have a Real ID, make sure you're using the format they expect for those vs. standard licenses. The system might be looking for specific data patterns that aren't obvious to users. Hang in there - these systems are frustrating but there's usually a specific combination that works!

I've been dealing with this same issue for weeks! One thing that finally worked for me was using Safari instead of Chrome - apparently some government sites work better with different browsers. Also, try entering your license info during off-peak hours like really early morning (5-6 AM). The system seems less glitchy when fewer people are using it. I know it sounds weird but I swear it made a difference! If you're still stuck, you can also try calling the technical support line - they have a separate number just for website issues that's different from the regular claims line. The wait isn't as bad either. Keep at it, you'll get through eventually! 💪

I'm really sorry you're going through this stressful situation while caring for your mom. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like you have some excellent actionable steps to take tomorrow. One thing I wanted to add that I learned when helping my aunt navigate similar issues - if you do end up needing to go the emergency conservatorship route, some counties have expedited processes specifically for terminal illness situations. When you call the probate court's self-help center (as Carmen suggested), make sure to emphasize that this is for a hospice patient with limited time. They often have special procedures that can fast-track these cases. Also, I noticed you mentioned having trouble reaching EDD by phone. In addition to the calling strategies others shared, try calling different regional offices if the main number isn't working. Sometimes the Fresno or San Bernardino offices have shorter wait times than the main Sacramento line, and they can all access your claim information. You're being such a devoted caregiver to your mom during this difficult time. Don't let the bureaucratic obstacles discourage you - there are people and systems in place to help, even if they're not easy to find initially. Wishing you success with all these leads tomorrow.

I'm heartbroken reading about what you're going through with your mom. This situation is incredibly stressful when you're already dealing with such an emotional time. From everything I've read in this thread, it sounds like you have several really solid options to pursue tomorrow morning: 1. The DE2501FC-PC form that Carmen mentioned seems like it could be your fastest solution since it's specifically designed for terminal illness situations 2. Contacting your mom's hospice patient advocate or social worker - they likely handle these benefit issues regularly and may have direct EDD contacts 3. The Public Guardian's office emergency authorization process that Maya detailed sounds very promising I'd recommend starting with the hospice team first thing in the morning since they're already involved in your mom's care and probably have the fastest turnaround on paperwork. Then tackle the EDD calls using the disability insurance line number Maya provided. You mentioned feeling desperate, but honestly, after reading all these responses, it sounds like there are multiple viable paths forward that people have successfully used in very similar situations. The system is frustrating and poorly designed, but you're not stuck. Take care of yourself too during this process - caregiving is exhausting even without bureaucratic nightmares added on top. Your mom is fortunate to have someone fighting so hard for her during this difficult time.

This whole thread is giving me life right now! I filed my PFL claim back in September and have been going absolutely crazy wondering if I did something wrong or if my case just disappeared into the void. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize this is unfortunately just how broken the system is right now. I'm definitely going to try that email template from William first thing Monday morning - it looks so much more professional than the frustrated rambling emails I was thinking of sending 😅. The early morning calling strategy sounds promising too, though I'm not looking forward to becoming a redial warrior. Has anyone had luck with following up on their emails? Like how long should I wait before sending a second one? I don't want to be annoying but at this point I'm desperate for ANY response. Thank you Katherine for starting this thread - sometimes just venting with people who actually understand the struggle helps keep you sane! 🙌

I've been lurking in this community for a while but had to jump in on this thread because I'm dealing with the EXACT same situation! Filed my PFL claim in mid-September and it's been complete radio silence ever since. I was honestly starting to wonder if I somehow filled out the forms wrong or if my case got lost in the system. Reading all these experiences has been both reassuring (I'm not alone!) and infuriating (this is clearly a systemic problem). I'm definitely going to try William's email template - it's so much more professional than the increasingly desperate emails I've been drafting in my head 😅. And that early morning calling strategy sounds like it's worth the pain if it actually works. The local representative route is something I never would have thought of, but Olivia's success story gives me hope there might be a light at the end of this tunnel. It's absolutely wild that we have to crowdsource solutions and become bureaucracy ninjas just to get basic updates on benefits we've paid into, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their strategies here. Katherine, thanks for starting this thread - sometimes just knowing other people are fighting the same battle makes you feel a little less crazy! Has anyone tried following up multiple times with the same method, or is it better to rotate between calling and emailing? I don't want to hurt my chances by being too persistent, but at this point I'm running out of patience! 🤞

This thread is incredible! I just joined this community because I've been battling the same E313 error for almost a month now. My name is María José González-Hernández and I was ready to give up completely until I found all these solutions. Between the accent marks, the hyphen, and the length, my name is basically the EDD system's worst nightmare 😅 I'm going to try entering it as "Maria Jose Gonzalez-Hernandez" first (removing accents like @CosmicCaptain suggested), and if that still doesn't work due to length, I'll try "M. J. Gonzalez-Hernandez" or maybe even "Maria Gonzalez". It's honestly embarrassing that California's government systems can't handle the diversity of names in our state, but I'm so grateful to everyone here for figuring out these workarounds and sharing them. You've all probably saved me weeks of additional frustration! Will definitely update once I try these solutions. 🤞✨

This thread is amazing! I just created an account specifically to comment on this because I've been struggling with the exact same E313 error for weeks. My name is Björn Andersson and I was completely stumped until I read @CosmicCaptain's explanation about special characters. The ö in my first name is probably what's been causing all my headaches! I never even considered that the EDD system couldn't handle basic Scandinavian characters - it's honestly mind-blowing that we're dealing with this in 2025. I'm going to try entering my name as "Bjorn Andersson" (replacing the ö with just o) and see if that finally gets me past this error. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their solutions - this community is incredible! I'll report back with results hopefully soon. 🙏